Yesterday opened their three-day pop-up private members' club at Londons recently restored Café Royal and of course ELLE was first in the queue.
The women-only club, Miumiu-London, is open for just two more days, and offers Miu Miu members and their guests the opportunity to buy items from the resort and spring/summer 2013 collections before they are released in stores.
Executive Fashion Editor Stacey Duguid gives us the inside track on the most beautiful pop-up shop in the world
The club
There are three floors, all designed by film production designer Caroline Smith, accessed either by lift or swirling, opulent gold gilt staircase and the entire building is manned by women wearing pieces from the . This is my kind of private members club.
The shopping
I start at the top, given this is where the shop is. The
shoe room is first, next door to the bag room, which leads to an even larger space housing next season's ready-to-wear. A climate change T-shirt [proceeds from the sale of which go to Cool Earth] with a silk,
Prada-print back sits alongside spring/summer 2013 denim duster coats and embellished evening dresses. I immediately hand over my credit card.
The Miu Miu Womens Tales
On the first floor, in a dark room filled with old-fashioned leather furniture and damask roses by Absolute Flowers, there's a series of short films playing on loop. First seen as part of
the Venice Film Festival, the short films are directed by four leading international female directors. Audrey Marney's beautiful face fills the screen and for a moment it could be 1928. This is the Conversation Room, where several leading female figures will host talks, dubbed
The Miu Miu Womens Tales, after which everybody can stroll across the hallway into the
restaurant.
The food
The most popular drinks of the day at the lounge bar have been Virgin Mojitos and Bloody Marys. Did you say 'virgin'?! The barman informs me he intends to serve old-fashioned drinks with more of a kick later, namely
Cosmopolitans and classic Champagne cocktails (I can smell debauchery!). The Grill Room will serve seafood and cocktails before the DJs take over around 10pm. Comfortable pink chairs crowd round candlelit tables with enough space around the bar and the DJ booth for
dancing. Yes, I checked. But I'll be back later to make doubly sure...
Visit http://the.miumiu.com/ for more information.